Suction means for retrieving a yarn end from a supply cop for automatic winding machines



p 26, 1957 JUNICHI HAYASHI ETAL 3,343,756

- SUCTION MEANS FOR RETRIEVING A YARN END FROM A SUPPLY COP FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept 1967 JUNICHI HAYASHI ETAL 3,343,756

SUCTION MEANS FOR RETRIEVING A YARN END FROM A SUPPLY COP FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINEES Filed Aug. 24, 1965 6 -Sheet 2 Se t. 26, 1967 JUNICHI HAYASHI ET-AL 3,343,756

SUCTION MEANS FOR RETRIEVING A YARN END FROM A SUPPLY COP FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept 1967 JUNICHI HAYASHI ETAL 3,343,756

SUCTION MEANS FOR RETRIEVING A YARN END FROM A SUPPLY COP FOR 'AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 p 1967 JUNICHI HAYASH! ETAL 3,343,756

SUCTION MEANS FOR RETRIEVING A YARN END FROM A SUPPLY COP FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1965 6 Sheets-sheet 5 P 1967 JUNICHI HAYASH! ETAL 3,343,756

SUCTIQN MEANS FOR RETRIEVING A YARN END FROM A SUPPLY COP FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHIGNESSh t Sh t 6 Filed Aug. 24, 1965 66 S- 86 United States Patent Nishinomiya-shi,

This invention relates generally to automatic yarn winding machines and more particularly to an air suction means for retrieving a yarn end from a supply cop for automatic winding machines of the type employed for Winding yarn, cord and other like materials into yarn packages such as cheeses or cones.

In general, an object of the present invention is to provide a suction means attached for retrieving a yarn end from a supply cop when the yarn on the supply cop breaks or the supply cop is exhausted.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to transfer the retrieved yarn end to the knot-tier through a suction pipe in order to tie with the other end of yarn from the package.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of apparatus for retrieving a yarn end from the supply cop and transferring the end to the knot-tier by air suction means which is of simple construction in comparison with mechanical means and is inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention are set forth in the following specifications which describes a preferred form of construction of the invention by way of example as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automatic winding machine and illustrates a winding drum, a package and a swivel suction nozzle providing a suction means for retrieving a yarn end from a supply cop according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of an automatic winding machine and illustrates another embodiment providing a suction means for retrieving a yarn end from a supply cop according to the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of a latch mechanism of a stop motion mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of a latch mechanism and a slide pinion, showing the mechanism when the stop motion works,

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of a program cam, showing the positioning of a latch during its operation and when a feeding yarn breaks or is exahusted,

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a cam mechanism illustrating a mechanism for turning ad rum to reverse direction,

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of cam machanism for operating a knot-tier,

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of cam mechanism for operating a suction nozzle and air-valve,

FIGS. 9 and 10 are cross sectional views of the suction pipes taken along line lX-]X of FIG. 1, respectively,

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the suction pipe taken along line XIXI of FIGS. 1 and 2,

3,343,756 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 suction pipe taken along ing drum 4. In case of exhaustion or breakage of the yarn from the supply cop 1, the yarn end from a replenishing 'cop, or broken yarn end is retrieved by a suction pipe 6. The yarn end from the package 5 is retrieved by a swivel suction nozzle 7. These yarn ends are transferred to a knot-tier 8 and are tied thereby, then the Winding operation is resumed.

The suction pipe 6 and the suction nozzle 7 are both connected, through a stop valve 9, with a suction duct 11 which leads to a main vacuum duct 10. An upper part 601 of the suction pipe 6 is formed in an inverted U-shape and a lower part 6b extends to the side of the supply cop 1. Thes wivel suction nozzle 7 is provided with a slit disposed along the longitudinal center line of its under side (not shown). While the suction pipe 6 has a slit 12a and 12b disposed longitudinally along one side. Both slits lead to the suction duct 11. The knot-tier 8 is disposed just under the inverted U-shaped suction pipe 6a shown in FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, -a driving shaft 69 is driven continuously by the suitable driving means disposed in the gearend box and drives a shaft 72 of a cam box 100 by a pinion 70 engaged with a large gear 71 secured to the shaft 72. A cam 73 rigidly secured to the shaft 72 is a main element for controlling the automatic operation of the device according to the present invention.

The cam 73 rotates continuously anti-clockwise and gives a toggle motion to a lever 74 which is pressed against the cam 73 by a spring 77. During operation, a feeler wire 13 takes a position under the yarn passage by the yarn tension and a latch 75 is held up by a hook 76 which forms a backward end of the feeler wire 13 which is turnably supported by a fulcrum 77 and has a supporting shaft 78 as a pivot.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, this latch 75 is not affected by the movement of the lever 74 and a roller 82 which moves in and out of the notch of the latch 75 during operation. When the yarn on the supply cop breaks or is exhausted, the feeler wire 13 leaps upwardly and the latch 75 changes its position as illustrated in FIG. 4 and consequently the roller 82 pushes upwardly on the left side edge of the notch of the latch 75 and supporting piece 79 changes its position as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

As the supporting piece 79 and a lever 80 are secured to a lever. shaft 81, the lever 80 also changes its position as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 4 and as a pin 83 disposed at the edge of the lever 80 is engaged in the slit of a gear shifter 84, the movement of the lever 80 with the pin 83 actu-ates to the gear shifter 84 to swing anti-clockwise and a hook 85 which is loosely connected with the cam shaft 72 drops into the lower step of the gear shifter 84 by a spring 86 as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

The gear shifter 84 has a shifter cam 88 which has a cam surface inclined to a plane perpendicular to the shaft 72 and is engaged to the V-groove of a gear 89 which is axially slidable on the cam shaft 72. By the motion of the gear shifter 84, the slide gear 89 shifts its position by the engagement of the cam surface of cam 88 with the V-groove of the slide gear so as to engage with a large gear 91 secured on the program cam shaft 90. Then the program cam starts its Working. The program cam consists of several numbers of plate cams which are rigidly secured on the program cam shaft 90, keeping relative position of each cam in a suitable arrangement. The shapes and relative positions of each cam on the program cam shaft 90 shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 and function to control clockwise rotation of the winding drum 4 when the yarn on the supply cop breaks or is exhausted, a lever motion actuating the knot-tying motion, and a mechanism for operating a suction nozzle and air valve, respectively. Moreover several other cams are rigidly secured to the programming cam shaft which functions to program the opening and closing of a tension disc and a slub catcher 3, the knot-tying mechanism, etc.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the programming control cam means 15 is shown as comprising several cams secured rigidly to the cam shaft 90, and the operation of the lever motion actuating the knot-tier, the operation of the suction nozzle and air valve, clockwise revolution of the driving drum 2, the opening and closing operation of a tension disc and a slub catcher 3, are completed by the control actuation of each cam, respectively, while the cam shaft 90 revolves one turn. Pulleys 29 and 30 are continuously driven by a driven element (not shown), the pulley 29 rotating counter-clockwise and the pulley 30 rotating clockwise. During the winding operation, a pulley 32 pivotably secured to the end of arm 33 contacts to the surface of the pulley 29, and drives the drum 4 clockwise by means of a V-belt 34, whereby a supply yarn from the supply cop 1 is wound onto the package which is driven by frictional contact with the surface of the drum 4.

When the yarn on the supply cop breaks or is exhausted, the feeler wire 13 detects the absence of yarn, then wire 13 turns to the free position and the cam 36 (FIG. 6) rigidly secured to the cam shaft 90' is turned clockwise as described above. An arm 33 which is on the other side of lever 37 pivoted at 31 is turned clockwise so as to disengage the pulley 32 from the pulley 29', and engage the pulley 3-2 with pulley 30 rotating in a clockwise direction while a small roller pivotably secured to the right end of lever 37 contacts the surface of the cam 36. Therefore, the package drum 5 is turned in the reverse direction so as to make it easy to take off the yarn from the package 5. When the cam shaft 90 turns, another cam 38 (FIG. 8) rigidly secured to the cam shaft 90 turns with the shaft 90' and a lever 39 pivotably secured to a pivot 40 and continuously contacting the cam surface 38 turns clockwise.

An end of lever 16 is rigidly secured to the pivot 40 and the other end of the lever 16 is pivoted to an end of a line 17. A pipe holder 18 supporting the suction nozzle 7 is pivoted to a fulcrum 42 disposed to an upper end of a duct 11, and also is pivotably connected with the other end of link 17 by a pin 41. A flexible rubber bellows 43 connects with the upper end of the duct 11 which encloses the stop valve 9 with the base of the suction nozzle 7. Therefore, when the pivoted end of the lever 17 turns to the dotted line position in FIG. 8, then the link 17 is pulled to the right whereby the suction nozzle 7 is turned to a position near the contacting point of the package yarn 5 with the drum 4.

A sector gear 19 which is secured to the pipe holder 18 and turns around the fulcrum pivot 42, meshes with a circular gear 20 rigidly secured to a central shaft 21 of the valve 9. Therefore, when the lever 17 turns, the gear 21 is turned by the engagement of the sector gear 19, so as to open the valve 9, while the valve 9 is closed when the link 17 is in the position corresponding to the winding operation. The suction nozzle 7 is connected with an upper mouth of the valve 9 and a suction pipe 6 is also connected with another upper mouth of the I valve 9. A lower mouth of the valve 9 is connected with a main vacuum duct 10.

As described above, when the suction nozzle 7 turns to the position near the package 5 by the turning motion of the line 17, the valve 9 is opened and then the suction pressure is induced inside of the suction nozzle 7 so that the end of yarn is retrieved from the package 5 into the mouth of suction nozzle 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the suction pipe 6 comprises an upper portion 6a which forms an inverse U- shaped pipe, and a lower portion 6b extending to a position of a supply cop 1 which is disposed at a lower position of the winding machine. A slit is disposed along the longitudinal center line of the under side of suction nozzle 7. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, slits 12a and 121) are disposed along the longitudinal center line of the side wall of the suction pipe 6, and the supply cop 1 is disposed in front of the side of slit 6b. The slits 12a and 12b compose a continuous slit.

The knot-tier 8 is disposed in a position right under the inverse U-shaped portion of suction pipe 6a. The knot-typing mechanism is constructed so that the operation is completed while the control cam device 15 turns one round, as described above.

When the link 17 turns to the above-mentioned position for operation, then the valve 9' is opened and the air pressure inside of the nozzle 7 and the pipe 6 are reduced. Simultaneously the mouth portion of the nozzle 7 turns to a position approaching the contacting position of the package 5 with the drum 4. Then the yarn end of the package 5 is retrieved through the mouth of the suction nozzle into the suction nozzle 7, while the yarn end of the supply cop is retrieved into the suction pipe 6 through the slit 6b. However, as the suction nozzle 7 and the suction pipe 6 have longitudinal slits extending along the main axis of the nozzle 7 and pipe 6, respectively, the retrieved yarn ends are transferred to the knot-tier through the slits simultaneously.

FIG. 7 shows a cam mechanism which operates the mechanism of the knot-tier 8 and which comprises a lever 45 and an arm 22 rigidly secured to a shaft 101, and a tension spring 102 which presses a cam roll pivotably disposed at the end of the lever 4-5 onto the cam surface of the cam 44 which is a control cam of the cam mechanism 15. Therefore, when the cam mechanism 15 turns one turn, the lever 45 and the arm 22 turn to the position shown in dotted lines and the complete knottying operation is actuated. This knot-tying operation is performed by the turning motion of the lever 22 which is subjected to the motion of control cam mechanism 15.

When the winding speed is very high, it tends to slough a yarn from the supply cop 1 and it is therefore required to have sufficient distance between the supply cop 1 and the tension device 3 to prevent the trouble from such sloughing.

It is inevitable that the suction pipe 6 for the supply cop is comparatively long because of the longer distance preferably provided between the supply cop and the tension device for high speed winding to prevent sloughing. Accordingly, in the case of a machine which is composed of many winding units each having a suction pipe respectively connected to a common suction source, in order t obtain necessary suction pressure to ensure perfect retrieval of the yarn end, it is necessary to minimize the suction pressure drop caused by the loss of air through the slits. Therefore, in this invention, the drop of suction pressure is prevented by an embodiment of the present invention as later described.

While the slit 1211 on the lower part 6b of the suction pipe 6 is left open, the slit 12a on the upper part 6a is closed when the yarn is sucked so as to have the suction pressure of the slit 12b on the lower part 6b increase. The slit 12a on the upper part 60 is made open when the yam is discharged, thus the decrease of suction pressure is prevented.

In other words, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the upper part 6a of the suction pipe 6 is so constructed that the one side is open and covered by a plate 23 and the slit 12a is formed by the gap made between the plate 23 and the wall or open side of the suction pipe 6a by pushing up the plate 23 by a cam 25 as described below.

The cam 25 is fixed on the outside of a pushing band 24 attached at its ends to the plate 23, and inside the connecting bar 17 on which a projecting piece 26 is provided. During the winding operation, as shown in FIG. 6, the cam 25 is pushed by the projecting piece 26 in accordance with the position of the connecting bar 17 against the pushing band 24, when the plate 23 is pushed to a position to provide a small gap between the plate 23 and the open side wall of the suction pipe 6a, thus forming a slit 12a. Further, the plate 23 is extended beyond suction pipe 60 to form the lugs 23a, to which pushing band 24 is secured by screws 45, and is supported adjustably on the suction pipe 6a by a stop screw 28 extending through screw 27 in pushing band 24.

When the yarn breaks or becomes exhausted and the knotting operation is initiated, the lever 16 works, the connecting bar 17 is pulled, the suction nozzle 7 is moved forward and approaches the surface of the package 5, while the valve 9 is opened, and suction is induced in the suction pipe 6 and the suction nozzle 7. At the same time, as the projecting piece 26 on the connecting bar 17 slips 011 the cam plate 25, as shown in FIG. 9, the plate 23 is sucked to the open side wall of the suction pipe 6a by the negative pressure. Thus the slit 12a of the suction pipe 6a is closed and the suction within the lower part 6b of the suction pipe 6 increases. Consequently, the yarn end from the supply cop is positively sucked and retrieved.

Then by the return motion of the connecting bar 17 caused by the return of the lever 16, the air valve 9 is closed, the projecting piece 26 rides again on the cam 25 and pushes on band 24 to move the plate 23- away from suction pipe 6a so that a slit 12a is formed. The yarn end retrieved into the suction pipe 6 is discharged out through the slit 12a and 12b and is transferred to the knot-tier 8. Then the yarn end is tied together with the yarn end from the package which is retrieved and transferred to the knot-tier 8 by the suction nozzle 7. After knotting, the winding operation is resumed. The time for opening and closing the slit 12a can be selected freely by adjusting the relative positions of cam 25 and projecting piece 26.

FIGS. 2, l2 and 13 show another embodiment of the present invention on which uses control springs 48 instead of the cam 25 and the projecting piece 26. The cover plate 23 is supported at several points by the springs 48, spring holding rods 47 and supporting brackets 46 secured to the suction pipe 6a. During the winding operation, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the plate 23 is pushed up by the spring 48 away from the open side wall of the suction pipe 6a and thus the slit 12a of the upper part 611 of the suction pipe 6 is formed.

When the yarn breaks or runs out and the knotting operation is initiated, the lever 16 is operated, the connecting bar 17 is pulled, the suction nozzle 7 is moved forward and approaches the surface of the package 5, while the valve 9 is opened, and suction pressure is induced in the suction pipe 6 and the suction nozzle 7. The negative suction pressure induced in the suction pipe 6 attracts the movable plate 23 to the open side wall of the suction pipe 6:: against the springs 48 and thus the slit 12a of the suction pipe 7a is closed and the suction pressure within the lower part 6b of the suction pipe 6 increases. Consequently, the yarn end from the supply cop is sucked in and retrieved.

Then, the return motion of the lever 16 moves the valve 9 to a closed position, which results in the decrease of the suction pressure in the suction pipe 6 and the plate 23 is again pushed out by the springs 48 and the slit 12a is formed. The yarn end retrieved into the suction pipe 6 is discharged out through the slit 12a and 12b and transferred to the knot-tier 8. The yarn ends are tied together with the yarn end from the package 5 which is retrieved and transferred to the knot-tier 8 by the suction nozzle 7. After knotting, the winding operation is resumed.

As described above, the slit 12a along the under side of the inverted U-shaped suction pipe 6a is formed by the movable plate 23, the drop of suction pressure in the suction pipe 6 is prevented by closing the slit during the yarn-end-sucking operation and perfect retrieval of the yarn end of the supply cop is thereby ensured. Furthermore, as a larger slit is available at the time of discharge of the yarn, such defects as jamming of yarn waste, lint, fly etc., in the slit 12a are eliminated and smooth discharge of the yarn through the slit 12a is ensured and consequently the failure of knotting operation is minimized.

While a preferred form of construction of the invention with one modification in the arrangement of the parts is herein shown and described by way of example, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the present embodiments.

What we claim and desire to ent is:

1. In an automatic winding machine for winding yarns from a supply cop into a package, a yarn handling mechanism comprising, in combination, a suction means for retrieving yarn ends from said supply cop and said package, an automatic knot-tier for tying yarn ends supplied by said suction means, a programming control cam mechanism for a retrieving motion of said suction means and for an automatic knot-tying motion of said automatic knot-tier, said suction means comprising a suction pipe providing a long slit disposed throughout the length of said pipe and extending to said supply cop, said slot being divided into an upper portion and a lower portion, a control mechanism for closing said upper portion of said slit subject to said programming cam mechanism, a stop valve disposed at the end of said suction pipe, a main suction conduit connected with said suction pipe through said stop valve, whereby in a first stage of retrieving a yarn end from said supply cop, said control mechanism is actuated by said programming cam mechanism so as to close the upper portion of said slit for preventing reduction of suction pressure, while said lower portion of said slit is left open, said upper slit portion being thereafter opened by said control mechanism for transferring said retrieved yarn end to said automatic knot-tier.

2. A yarn handling mechanism according to claim 1, in which said suction pipe comprises an inverted U-shaped upper portion corresponding to said upper portion of said slit and disposed around said knot-tier, and a straight lower portion corresponding to said lower portion of said s it.

3. A yarn handling mechanism according to claim 2, in which said inverted U-shaped upper portion of said suction pipe comprising a conduit having a U-shaped cross section and a cover plate closing the open side of said conduit, said slit being formed as a gap between said conduit and said cover plate, said cover plate being connected to said control mechanism so as to selectively open or close said gap.

4. A yarn handling mechanism according to claim 3, in which said control mechanism comprises a U-shaped pushing band disposed at a lower portion of said inverted -shaped upper portion of said suction pipe and connected with said cover plate at two outside portions of said covered plate so as to surround said conduit, screw slots disposed at both end portions of said pushing band respectively, stop screws secured to both outside walls of said conduit at the corresponding positions of said screw slots and passing through said screw slots, a plate cam rigidly secured to said pushing band at an outside portion of the base of the U-shaped pushing band and a projecting piece rigidly secured to an element subjected to said control cam mechanism at the corresponding position of said plate cam, whereby, when said control cam mechsecure by Letters Patanism is actuated, said projecting piece pushes said cam and said pushing band slide to move said cover plate so as to form a gap between said conduit and cover plate.

5. A yarn handling mechanism according to claim 3, in which said control mechanism comprises supporting brackets secured to the outside of said conduit of said suction pipe at the upper portion and supporting said cover plate against the open side of said conduit, spring holding rods disposed on said supporting bracket respectively, control spring means disposed on said bracket, respectively, so as to push said cover plate and to form a gap between said cover plate and open side wall of said conduit, whereby, when the suction air is developed inside of said suction pipe by means of an operation of said programming cam mechanism, said cover plate is attracted to the open side wall of said conduit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,675,971 4/1954 Abbott 24235.6 3,131,879 5/1964 Glastra 24235.6 3,281,088 10/1966 Isamu Watsui et a1. 24235.6 3,311,312 3/1967 Hanri 24235.6

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE FOR WINDING YARNS FROM A SUPPLY COP INTO A PACKAGE, A YARN HANDLING MECHANISM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUCTION MEANS FOR RETRIEVING YARN ENDS FROM SAID SUPPLY COP AND SAID PACKAGE, AN AUTOMATIC KNOT-TIER FOR TYING YARN ENDS SUPPLIED BY SAID SUCTION MEANS, A PROGRAMMING CONTROL CAM MECHANISM FOR A RETRIEVING MOTION OF SAID SUCTION MEANS AND FOR AN AUTOMATIC KNOT-TYING MOTION OF SAID AUTOMATIC KNOT-TIER, SAID SUCTION MEANS COMPRISING A SUCTION PIPE PROVIDING A LONG SLIT DISPOSED THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF SAID PIPE AND EXTENDING TO SAID SUPPLY COP, SAID SLOT BEING DIVIDED INTO AN UPPER PORTION AND A LOWER PORTION, A CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CLOSING SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID SLIT SUBJECT TO SAID PROGRAMMING CAM MECHANISM, A STOP VALVE DISPOSED AT THE END OF SAID SUCTION PIPE, A MAIN SUCTION CONDUIT CONNECTED WITH SAID SUCTION PIPE THROUGH SAID STOP VALVE, WHEREBY IN A FIRST STAGE OF RETRIEVING A YARN END FROM SAID SUPPLY COP, SAID CONTROL MECHANISM IS ACTUATED BY SAID PROGRAMMING CAM MECHANISM SO AS TO CLOSE THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SLIT FOR PREVENTING REDUCTION OF SUCTION PRESSURE, WHILE SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID SLIT IS LEFT OPEN, SAID UPPER SLIT PORTION BEING THEREAFTER OPENED BY SAID CONTROL MECHANISM FOR TRANSFERRING SAID RETRIEVED YARN END TO SAID AUTOMATIC KNOT-TIER. 